Five Big Ten teams ranked in AP top 15

How close in talent level are Big Ten champions Ohio State, Michigan State and Michigan? Well, nationally, there are just four spots – 7 through 10 -- that separate them in the AP rankings at regular season's end. It should be an interesting Big Ten tournament this year, especially with Indiana jumping up three spots to join Wisconsin in the top 15.

One other note of interest: behind former Gopher Royce White, Iowa State jumped in the rankings – at No. 25 -- for the first time since November of 2005.

1. Kentucky (30-1)

2. Syracuse (30-1)

3. Kansas (26-5)

4. North Carolina (27-4)

5. Missouri (27-4)

6. Duke (26-5)

7. Ohio State (25-6)

8. Michigan State (24-7)

9. Marquette (25-6)

10. Michigan (23-8)

11. Murray State (30-1)

12. Baylor (25-6)

13. Georgetown (22-7)

14. Wisconsin (23-8)

15. Indiana (24-7)

16. Wichita State (27-5)

17. Florida State (21-9)

18. San Diego State (24-6)

19. Creighton (28-5)

20. UNLV (25-7)

21. Temple (24-6)

22. Florida (22-9)

23. Notre Dame (21-10)

24. Gonzaga (25-5)

25. Iowa State (22-9)

This is Amelia Rayno's fifth season on the Gophers men's basketball beat. She learned college basketball in North Carolina (Go Tar Heels!), where fanhood is not an option. In 2010, she joined the Star Tribune after graduating from Boston's Emerson College, which sadly had no exciting D-I college hoops to latch onto. Amelia has also worked on the sports desk at the Boston Globe and interned at the Detroit News.